Apparatus for slitting the wrapper of rod-shaped articles and separating the wrapper therefrom



Sept. 5, 1967 J, P RUPERT 3,339,559

APPARATUS FOR SLII'TING THE WRAPPER OFT ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES AND SEPARATING THE WRAPPER THEREFROM Filed Feb. 25, 1965 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Awnvne Joy/v P. )PUPEET v Li W rim Sept. 5, 1967 P RUPERT 3,339,559

APPARATUS FOR SLILTING THE WRAPPER OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES AND'SEPARATING THE WRAPPER THEREFROM Filed Feb. 25, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet AWm mz Sept. 5, 1967 J. P. RUPERT 3,339,559

APPARATUS FOR SLITTING THE WRAPPER OF ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES AND SEPARATING THE WRAPPER THEREFROM 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 25, 1965 Sept. 5, 1967 P, RUPERT 3,339,559

APPARATUS FOR SLITTING THE WRAPPER 0P RODSHAPED ARTICLES AND SEPARATING THE WRAPPER THEREFROM Filed Feb. 25. 1965 4 Sheets-Shet 4 5 A la/WK dohw fume-77' United States Patent APPARATUS FOR SLITTING THE WRAPPER 0F Africa Filed Feb. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 435,230 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Feb. 25, 1964, 64/856 8 Claims. (Cl. 131-96) This invention relates to the unwrapping of wrapped rod-shaped articles.

Cigarettes are articles of the kind in question. They consist of a rod-shaped core of tobacco wrapped in a layer of cigarette paper. Occasion for the unwrapping of cigarettes arises in connection with the reclamation of tobacco from waste cigarettes or from shop returns.

The classical method employed in the reclamation of tobacco is lengthy, labour-consuming and degradational to the quality of the reclaimed tobacco in that large amounts of tobacco dust, unusable in manufacture, are created. In addition minute paper particles are formed and have to be removed by hand. Unless they are so re moved, they may cause a pronounced paper smell and palate bite during smoking.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of unwrapping a cigarette which minimizes the degradation of the tobacco in the rod and which does not lead to the formation of paper particles.

In a method according to the invention a wrapped article is axially propelled at high speed along a prescribed path, a cutting edge is interposed in the path at least to a depth corresponding to the thickness of the Wrapping and in the direction of the path and the slit wrapping is separated from its core.

Further according to the invention two opposed cutting edges are used so that the wrapping is slit along diametrally opposed lines.

The invention is further discussed with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a device;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of the device;

FIGURE 3 is a pictorial representation with certain parts removed and others broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a pictorial view partly in section of part of the device; and

FIGURE 5 is an underplan of part of the device.

The device illustrated in the drawings is designed for the reclamation of tobacco from cigarettes which are pneumatically conveyed along a path which terminates in a passage 4. The cigarettes are thus axially propelled at high speed into the passage 4.

As the cigarettes emerge from the passage 4 they encounter a pair of opposed cutting knives 5 and 6 which are arranged to slit the paper wrapping of the cigarettes. At the same time the cigarettes enter a throat defined between two wheels 7 and 8 the rims of which are perforated, suction being applied to the perforations at that point.

The knives 5 and 6 are driven at high speed through suitable driving means. Each knife '5 and 6 is adjustable by means of screws 9 to vary the cutting depth.

The knives 5 and 6 rotate in opposite senses, but their peripheries move in the same direction as the direction of movement of a cigarette emerging from the passage 4.

The wheels 7 and 8 run in a plane normal to the plane containing the knives 5 and 6. Note that the narrowest ice part of the throat between the wheels 7 and 8 is ahead of the narrowest gap between the knives 5 and 6 in the direction of movement of a cigarette. In use the throat between the wheels 7 and 8 is adjusted to be slightly less than the thickness of a cigarette so that the cigarette is deformd6to an elliptical shape before it reaches the knives 5 an The details of the wheels 7 and8' are more clearly illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4. Each wheel is com posed of a body 10 secured to a pulley 11. The periphery of each body 10 is formed with a circumferential groove into which fits a perforated strip 12. Behind the strip 12 there is a series of compartments 13 separated one from the other. Each compartment 13 communicates through a bore 14 with -a port 15 on the upper surface of the body 10. 4

The body 10 and the pulley 11 are journalled for rotation about a shaft 16. A valve chest 17 is also threaded on the shaft 16 but keyed against rotation about that shaft. The surface of the chest 17 that contacts the body 10 is shown in FIGURE 5. That surface is formed with two slots 18 and 19. The slot 18 which has a large circumferential extent is connected to a pipe 20 which in use is connected to a source of vacuum, while the slot 19 is short and is connected to a pipe 21 which in use is connected to a source of air under pressure.

The chest 17 is biased towards the body 10 by of a series of compression springs 22.

Thus each port 15 successively passes under the slot 18, under a flat surface on the chest 17, under the slot 19, under a flat surface and then again under the slot 18. While the port is under the slot 18, suction is applied to the perforations on the strip 12. While the port is under the slot 19, air under pressure flows through these perforations.

In use a cigarette enters the throat between the wheels. As it does so suction is applied to its surface. Soon afterwards the wrapping is slit and each half is free to adhere to a wheel under suction and this in fact happens. The wheel as it were peels the half wrapping off the core of the cigarette. The wrapping is carried around to a position where air under pressure blows it off into a chute 23, which may he placed under suction.

The core of the cigarette carries on in the direction in which the cigarette was propelled. It could be received on any suitable conveyor or by the inlet of another pneumatic conveyance system.

The wheels 7 and 8 rotate at such a speed as to have a retarding effect on the cigarettes. The knives 5 and 6 rotate so that their cutting edges move in the same direction as the cigarette. However, it is possible that in some cases the knives should rotate in the opposite sense. This can be achieved simply by changing the drive of the knives. At the same time the degree of retardation of the cigarette may be adjusted by adjusting the speed of the wheels 7 and 8. In each case the best results have to be obtained by trial and error.

I claim:

-1. Apparatus for unwrapping rod-shaped articles, such as cigarettes, consisting in means to propel each of a succession of articles axially along a straight path at high speed, two opposed cutting edges penetrating the path to a predetermined depth and running in the direction of the path, and a pair of suction wheels with flat treads straddling the path to either side of the cutting edges each adapted to peel off a slit half-wrapping from its core, the path being continuous and uninterrupted for a distance beyond the cutting and peelingotf points.

2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 in which each cutting edge is provided by a circular knife.

3. The apparatus claimed in claim 2 including means to rotate the cutting knives.

means 4. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 in which the throat between the suction wheels is in advance of the throat between the cutting knives in the direction of the path.

'5. The apparatus claimed in claim 4 in which the suction wheels are arranged to compress an article being propelled through the throat between the wheels.

6. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 including means to blow 01f material adhering to a portion of the surface of each suction wheel before that portion enters the throat between the wheels.

7. Apparatus for unwrapping rod-shaped articles, such as cigarettes, consisting in means for pneumatically propelling a succession of articles axially along a straight path at high speed, two opposed circular knives penetrating the path to a predetermined depth and running in the direction of the path, means to rotate the knives, a pair of opposed suction wheels with flat treads straddling the path to either side of the cutting edges and in advance of the throat between the cutting knives, each wheel being adapted to peel off a slit half-wrapping from its core and the wheels being arranged to compress an article being propelled through the throat between them, the path being continuous and uninterrupted for a distance beyond the cutting and peeling-off points.

8. The apparatus claimed in claim 7 including means to blow ofi? material adhering to a portion of the surface of each suction wheel before that portion enters the throat between the wheels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,758,800 5/1930 Molins 13 l-96 1,941,364 12/1933 Nunninghoif 83--102 2,319,198 5/1943 Barrans et al 83-92A 2,413,192 12/1946 Pope 83176 2,463,157 3/ 1949 Deit-rickson 83100 2,701,569 2/1955 Fellmann 131-96 2,759,543 8/1956 Conti 83-152 FOREIGN PATENTS 152,050 6/ 1904 Germany.

ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM W. DYER, IR., Examiner.

L. B. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR UNWRAPPING ROD-SHAPED ARTICLES, SUCH AS CIGARETTER, CONSISTING IN MEANS TO PROPEL EACH OF A SUCCESSION OF ARTICLES AXIALLY ALONG A STRAIGH PATH AT HIGH SPEED, TWO OPPOSED CUTTING EDGES PENETRATING THE PATH TO A PREDETERMINED DEPTH AND RUNNING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PATH, AND A PAIR OF SUCTION WHEELS WITH FLAT TREADS STRADDLING THE PATH TO EITHER SIDE OF THE CUTTING EDGES EACH ADAPTED TO PEEL OFF A SLIT HALF-WRAPPING FROM ITS CORE, THE PATH BEING CONTINUOUS AND INTERRUPTED FOR A DISTANCE BEYOND THE CUTTING AND PEELING-OFF POINTS. 